Chicago man threatened ‘military style’ shooting at suburban courthouse: prosecutors
CHICAGO - A Chicago man was arrested Friday after making a mass shooting threat directed at the Lake County courthouse.
Daniel B. Pederson, 42, of Chicago, has been charged with a felony count of threatening a public official, according to a statement Saturday from the Lake County Sheriff's Office. Pederson was previously convicted in 2016 of making a terrorist threat towards the same courthouse.
On June 14, the sheriff's office was notified that Pederson passed a note to a security guard working at a restaurant in Chicago's Riverwalk area. The note indicated there would be a mass shooting with military precision at the Lake County courthouse. The note also made threatening remarks directed at a Lake County judge and a Chicago police officer assigned as a task force officer to the FBI.
Daniel B. Pederson, 42. (Lake County Sheriffs Office)
On Thursday, Pederson returned to the Riverwalk area and was spotted by the same security guard to whom he had previously passed the note. The security guard contacted Chicago police, and Pederson was located and taken into custody, the sheriff's office said.
After Pederson was positively identified, he was charged with one felony count of threatening a public official. The Sheriff's Warrants Team took custody of Pederson in Chicago on Friday, and he was taken to the Lake County Jail where he remains held pending his first court appearance.
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The Lake County State's Attorney's Office said it intends to file a petition to detain Pederson on Saturday. Additional charges are possible.